


Strikhedonia

by PerseusHuntress



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 13:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16833382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerseusHuntress/pseuds/PerseusHuntress
Summary: Strikhedonia - The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it.”





	Strikhedonia

The presidium lakes glittered under the artificial sunlight of the Citadel, a gentle breeze rustled the trees muffling the voices below. Garrus leant against the railing idly watching the streets below, ordinary people, leading their ordinary lives, it was beautiful. Once upon a time he was part of this hive, his life flowing in unity with the beat of the station. His gaze panned the scenery, just over there he would meet Lana when they both found enough time for each other, just past the catwalks was the little café that served the best damn dextro pancakes in the galaxy, and the C-Sec building loomed just to the left. It felt a life time ago, he wondered how Lana was doing, he never said goodbye, it all happened so fast, the asari no doubt moved on by now. Shepard’s appearance came like a flood, it swept him under and carried him off to a new life, a brand new galaxy which he never noticed before, but it was always there, he was just too busy to see it.

Garrus almost missed it, the normality of it all, the steady rhythm, the predictability. A nostalgic melancholy washed over him, for a life he may have had.

“Hey, you ready?” Shepard appeared at his side, he was too lost in his thought to notice her approach, a fatal mistake under normal circumstances.

“Do you even think of what could have been?” he asked quietly.

“If things worked out different?” she lent on the barrier next to him.

“Yeah, if there were no Saren, no Collectors, no Reapers?” he looked down at her and his heart did a flip, he was so used to the sensation these days it didn’t even phase him. He would not trade Shepard for any comfort or normality this universe could offer him. Every moment in his life led him to her, all the suffering and pain, it was all worth it, just to have her standing by his side like this. This tiny fierce woman lit up his life like a supernova, his past paled in her afterglow.

Shepard smiled, reaching out for his hand that gripping the railing, she rested her hand on his gently entwining their fingers “Well, I suppose I would be a fully-fledged Spectre by now. Probably gallivanting around the galaxy with Nihlus, pissing off the likes of Samara”

“Even the idyllic version of you manages to find and prod the Thresher Maw in the eye” he laughed, gently pulling her into his arms. She stood with her back against his chest, whilst he encircled her with his arms, she melded perfectly into him and he let out a content sigh. She was more than the woman he loved, she was his best friend, she was his other half in battle, when they were together he felt indestructible.

“What about you, what would you be doing now?” Shepard twisted her neck to look at him.

“Hum” he mused, resting his chin on her head, looking out over the lakes “I suppose I would still be in C-Sec being a ‘good’ turian. Hopefully promoted, more likely fired” he laughed.

They stood in comfortable silence, pondering the life that never was.

“Of course it would also mean that I would have never met you, and that doesn’t bare thinking about” Shepard spoke after a few moments, nestling deeper into his arms “God, imagine the disaster that would have been me and Nihlus”

Garrus shifted and gently nuzzled the top of her head “You would either have killed each other or got one another killed”

“You’re probably right, how could I possibly survive without my Archangel!” her laugh dripped with sarcasm.

Garrus smiled into her hair, she was a little shit, but she was his. Her warmth against him still made his heart race, the stray fiery strands of hair that tickled his face smelt of summer, moments like these were rare, and he wanted to melt into this one, wanted it to last forever. But the war was a constant background noise to them, almost but never truly tuned out. He hugged her tighter unwilling to let her go. If he was honest with himself, he wanted to be a very bad turian, he wanted to take her away from here, wanted her safe in his arms, it was selfish, it was stupid but he couldn’t help himself.

“I love you” she whispered quietly.

His heart picked up pace, he closed his eyes and inhaled. He learnt the hard way that there is no certainty, there may not be a tomorrow, hell the Reapers may hit the Citadel any second now. His thoughts raced, but something inside stubbornly stood its ground, a new kind of bravery he never knew he had, it urged him to take the leap, to find release.

“Will you come to Palaven with me…” his subharmonics faltered, cracking under pressure of his own words.

Shepard slowly turned her head towards him and blinked “Garrus, the Reapers, it’s a warzone?”

A feverish laugh bubbled up out of him, a mixture of pleasure and relief flowed through him “No, Shepard I don’t think you…”

“No, of course” she interrupted “Of course I will come, once all of this is over. I have heard about the Auroras, I’ve never seen one, but you have to come with me, to Earth”

Garrus closed his eyes and shook his head laughing “You’re an idiot”

Shepard twisted in his arms to look at him properly “What? What did I do?!”

He leant down and gently pressed his forehead to hers “I just asked you to marry me, and you bring up the Reapers”

Shepard went slack in his arms, her eyes became huge, and she opened and closed her mouth soundlessly.

Garrus smiled and pressed a light kiss on her lips “I’ll ask another day then, I love you”


End file.
